Published on May 1st, 2019 and Updated on February 29th, 2024
Determining the gender of your baby is an exciting moment during pregnancy. There are two types of gender predictor tests available: traditional urine-based tests and newer DNA-based tests. While both claim to be accurate, it can be difficult to choose which test to take. In this blog, we will examine the accuracy of both baby gender prediction tests to help you make an informed decision when it comes to determining the gender of your baby.
Urine Gender Test
Urine-based gender prediction tests use a urine sample and claim to provide accurate test results as early as 5 weeks into pregnancy. They come in different forms, some similar to pregnancy test sticks that turn blue or pink, or chemical mixtures that change color.
While many urine tests like Intelligender and Gendermaker claim to provide gender determination, they lack scientific basis. Although urine pregnancy tests detect HCG, a hormone present only in a pregnant woman’s urine, they cannot detect gender hormones. Daniel A. Potter, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at HRC Fertility in Newport Beach, CA, states that there are no sex hormones in urine that can prove the sex of an unborn baby by changing color, as gender hormones function differently from pregnancy hormones.
In the early 1980s, researchers at the University of Wyoming performed the pee-in-a-cup gender prediction test on 100 pregnant women and found it to be “roughly equivalent to flipping a coin” for predicting gender. A 1999 Canadian study yielded similar results.
“There are a number of at-home urine-based gender “test” kits available for purchase online. None of the urine-based gender tests are scientifically accurate,” one VeryWell Family article states “In fact, some of these tests straight out say on the box that they are “for entertainment” purposes only. Others, you’ll find the disclaimers only on the paper insert. All these tests warn users not to make any ‘financial or emotional’ decisions based on the results.”
The reviews for these gender prediction tests are all over the map. Not surprisingly, 50% say the test was accurate, and 50% say it was wrong. Because… statistics. Gender prediction tests like Intelligender and Gendermaker have no scientific legitimacy, so why waste your time and money on a guessing game?
DNA-based Gender Test
Instead of using a urine test to determine the gender of the baby, you can use a DNA-based gender test. DNA-based gender prediction tests use cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) collected from a sample of the mom’s blood to determine gender. A study released in the Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology found that fetal sex can be determined using cell-free fetal DNA extracted from blood samples taken from mothers between their 6th and 10th week of pregnancy.
How does it work? When the mom, who normally only has X chromosomes, is pregnant, cells and DNA from the baby find their way into her bloodstream. This is called cell-free fetal DNA. A sample of mom’s blood is taken, and a test is run to look for Y chromosomes in the sample. If Y chromosomes are found, the baby is a boy. If they are absent, the baby is a girl. Gender can be determined with over 99% accuracy1, as shown by a peer-reviewed study published in the International Journal of Pregnancy & Child Birth.
SneakPeek’s Early Gender Blood Test is the leading DNA-based gender predictor test on the market, and the only one that can let you know if you’re having a boy or girl as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy. Over 1 million gender prediction tests have been provided to help new moms determine their baby’s sex, bond with their babies, make plans, and connect with friends and family around them. How does the at-home test work? A SneakPeek test kit is sent via mail to mom’s home with all the materials and instructions needed to self-collect 7-10 drops of blood. The whole prediction test takes about 20 minutes, and the blood sample is mailed back to SneakPeek Labs in a prepaid, pre-addressed envelope. Gender test results are emailed directly, as soon as the following day. Prefer to have a phlebotomist draw your blood? Visit a participating SneakPeek Clinical provider and get an early gender blood test at doctors offices near you.
Are You Ready to Experience the Difference?
Now that we’ve covered the basics, you can read up on SneakPeek Stories from moms, just like you, who have used the test before. Then, when you’re ready to determine the gender of your baby, check out the gender predictor test options available.
